This is the Way
by conjure-at-your-own-risk
Summary: Death then wondered if the three knew that they were the brothers all over again. It was a never-ending cycle: Power, love, and bravery. Three mortals destined to change the world. Each had a part to play that could mean everything.


**AN: I've been meaning to do something like this. The poem is from TS Eliot's The Hollow Men. There will be some scenes from Everything Was Gone, and it can be read separately. **

**Please leave a review.**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: This is the Way

**Word Count**: 3K

**Summary**: Death then wondered if the three knew that they were the brothers all over again. It was a never-ending cycle: Power, love, and bravery. Three mortals destined to change the world. Each had a part to play that could mean everything.

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><p><em>Between the idea<em>

_And the reality_

_Between the motion_

_And the act_

_Falls the Shadow_

_For Thine is the Kingdom_

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><p><strong>(Then)<strong>

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><p>Each brother marvelled at their gifts, amazed and shocked at what fortune they were given. Naturally, they had to see what they could now do. Antioch turned a nearby fox into a stone statue, sparks dance and wavered in the air as he conjured and evoked powerful magic. Cadmus was unaware of the boundaries of life and death quivering as he held onto the stone and thought of his dead lover. Ignotus wrapped his fingers tightly around the silken fabric of the Invisibility Cloak, eyes watching, and hesitation creeping into his mind. He wasn't sure on how to react with his gift.<p>

Neither of three knew what horrible curse now lay in their blood. Something of death was in them, mingling with their souls that would lie within their bloodlines. The nature of the choice that they made caused something to happen, and no one would ever know what.

Death unintentionally looked back as he faded away. _What fools, _the entity thought, _what fools these mortals be._

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><p><strong>(Now)<strong>

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><p>A heavy-hearted Albus Dumbledore watched his former love directed orders as he stayed by the shadows. The extravagant dining room was lavished in gold and blood-red jewels. Above the throne the blonde man sat was a banner with a symbol that Albus came to hate very much. Gellert angrily threw a curse at one of his followers for not answering quickly enough. <em>How did we ever come to this? <em>Albus thought. _How did we become so different?_

Realising that now was the time to act, the auburn-haired Wizard revealed himself from the shadowed corner of the elegant room. All action and noise lowered and blurred to a buzz. Gellert's followers stopped moving, dumbfounded that anyone could get pass the wards.

"Gellert," Albus said as a greeting. He looked into the man's pale eyes. "How are you this fine evening?"

Gellert grinned slowly, showing his yellowing teeth. He waved a lazy arc with the Elder Wand, merely only drawing power. He wanted to show how unafraid he was. "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Here to die, I see."

"Alas, you are mistaken." Albus tried to separate the image of the old Gellert, the one who could love, from the cold man across from him. Hissing whispers of guilt tried to reach him, but he brushed them away. "I am here to stop you."

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><p>A young Harry Potter giggled as his father appeared from under the Invisibility Cloak. The dark-haired babe laughed again as James held his son with one arm and threw the cloak over them.<p>

James pressed a finger to his son's lips. Harry's eyes grew wide. "Shh, we're going to sneak up on Mummy."

Both father and son kept quiet and advanced slowly into the kitchen where Lily was Floo Calling Alice Longbottom. Her hair was pulled into a sloppy bun, stands escaped as she conversed with her friend.

"Harry is the same, he refuses to go to sleep the entire—_James!" _Something had pulled the pins from her hair, leaving it to fall around shoulders. She turned around to see empty air. But a baby's laughter could be heard.

"Mummy!"

Lily smiled and lunged forward, fingers grabbing onto silk, and pulled it away to see her husband and son grinning. "Oh, you two." She kissed both of them, and took the squirming Harry into her arms. "My little Marauders."

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><p>Snape starred at the ring on Dumbledore's desk. If the legend was true, then he could…No. He shouldn't. It was a myth, only man's fear of the unknown. <em>The Philosopher's Stone was a myth<em>, he reminded himself. _The Chamber of Secrets, escaping Azkaban, the Dark Lord coming back to life… _Snape shuddered at the last thought.

He tried, but his eyes wouldn't leave the ring. It was much like coming across the damned Mirror years ago. It taunted him with the idea of _her_. She would be alive, smiling at him, and all would be forgiven. His pale fingers moved on the glossy surface of the desk, and getting closer to the ring.

_She could be yours again, _an unknown voice echoed. _All lovely and whole, waiting for you to love her. Just turn it thrice— _The voice stopped.

"Severus," Dumbledore said from the door. Snape looked up to see the dying Headmaster. His face was worn-out and lined with worry. "Perhaps now you should rest."

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><p><em>It's mine now! <em>Voldemort watched as the Dark Mark intermingled with the vast darkness and few stars. _I am now unstoppable! _The Elder Wand thrummed in his hand, promising a new and glorious age. Already, he could see his plan for the future all rosy-tipped with blood and shadowed with death.

_None shall stop me._

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><p><strong>(When)<strong>

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><p>A girl with green eyes was looking through the attic, trying to find some school things to bring back to Hogwarts. She ran a hand through her messy hair, cursing at the fact that she was too young to use magic outside of Hogwarts. Venting her frustration, she kicked the closest thing near her foot. The sudden action caused the box to skitter across the floor, smashing into something. The sound of broken valuables echoed.<p>

Now swearing out-loud, she checked the damaged box to find several porcelain plates smashed into jagged pieces. She glared at the object that it smashed into. It was an aged school trunk, the type no one used in centuries. Curious, she wiped away the dust to see a square piece of metal with the initials _HJP _engraved on it. Funny, her initials were the same.

Pulling the heavy trunk out, she opened it to find nothing of suppose value. There was a dusty book with ancient, yellowing photos; a snitch with a crack down its middle, there was writing on it, but she couldn't make it out; shards of broken glass; and a silvery cloak. The girl carefully took the cloak out, expecting for it to collapse into pieces. To her surprise it was intact and still in brilliant condition.

Looking at her reflection in a cobwebbed mirror, she slipped the cloak on and almost screamed. It looked like her head was floating!

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><p><em>Between the conception<em>

_And the creation_

_Between the emotion_

_And the response_

_Falls the Shadow_

_Life is very long_

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><p><strong>(Then)<strong>

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><p>Antioch laughed as his opponent's chest opened up and blood sprayed everywhere. The body collapsed on its back, eyes facing the ceiling. White bone protruded from a broken rib, a still heart laid near the feet.<p>

"Who shall be next?" Antioch called out to the fearful crowd. Drunk from power and mead, the comforting words of his newfound weapon reached his ears and moved in a sweet lullaby.

_Look at what power you can wield, _it said. _You are unstoppable; you will have nothing to fear ever again. Show them your strength that even Death fears._

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><p>Cadmus starred at the woman. Her fair hair fell down in soft curls, and her dark eyes were wide at seeing him. The Resurrection Stone fell from his fingers and hit the wood floor. "Elena," he said softly, not daring to believe that it was her.<p>

"Cadmus?" Elena whispered, stepping closer. She looked so small and pale. "What happened to me?"

Cadmus choked on his words, unable to speak anymore. He reached out to touch the side of her face, she felt warm–_alive_. He then wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her hair. Merlin, he just wanted to cry. "It doesn't matter anymore."

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><p>Ignotus woke up from another nightmare. Panting for breath, his fingers felt clumsy as he reached under his pillow for his wand.<p>

"Lumos!"

The darkness in the room faded away into shadows that lay thickly in the corners. His dark eyes searched the small area, paranoia fuelling his actions. The dream was surreal; he could almost still feel the soft and damp floor of a forest, hear the hissings of a fire, and death—it was so close.

"It was just a dream," he told himself. "Just a dream."

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><p><strong>(Now)<strong>

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><p>The Elder Wand wasn't working.<p>

Impossible! But Potter kept talking about the wand's true allegiance, how because the younger Malfoy was now the true Master it wouldn't work, and there was something about a sacrifice. Already making plans, Voldemort could envision how he would die. Slowly, painfully, and when the boy was on his last breath…

"I am the true master of the Elder Wand." Potter said.

No.

_No!_

Voldemort had waited too long to reach such power. How dare this unskilled boy tell him differently. He killed Severus Snape, Snape was his spy, nothing was going to plan all because of Potter and that dreaded Order.

_Then kill him,_ urged the wand. _Kill the boy and you will rule._

Now the boy will die.

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><p>Dumbledore was hardly aware of the potion that was being fed to him. Through half-closed eyes he could see the golden liquid, the taste of butterscotch was strong and somewhat overpowering. Then the white-hot pain faded away, feeling returning to his body and his motor functions began to work again.<p>

How much of a fool he was to trust the ring. Of course Riddle would leave a curse on it, no doubt enjoying the pain that the victim would feel.

_Mother, Ariana, I am so sorry._

He hoped that they could hear him.

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><p>The dreams grew more in occurrence after Ginny died. Harry would be alone in the Forbidden Forest, and something would talk in echoes around him.<p>

…_You know how to bring your wife back, Master of Death. Just find the stone and she will be back. Your friends will be back. Your parents, even. You will no longer be alone…_

…_Use the wand, Harry. Once you bring your wife back, there is a spell that can make you and her young again. Imagine spending all of eternity with the woman you love…_

…_Come back and find the Hallows, reclaim your birthright…_

Whispers like those would leave him awake and drenched in sweat. And every morning Harry felt so old. So lonely. His great-grandchildren would come to visit, but it didn't always help. There were haunting times when he found himself staring at the empty space next to him at night, missing her.

_You can do this, Harry_, he told himself. _You'll be doing the next great adventure soon enough. Just hang in there._

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><p><strong>(When)<strong>

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><p>In another time a girl whispered five words into the Resurrection Stone. A chill wind ripped through the forest as life and death became unbalanced. She wrapped herself tighter in the Cloak that had been in her family for generations.<p>

A figure appeared, just as familiar looking as seeing herself in the mirror.

"I'm going to die." Green eyes saw green. She tried to keep herself from flying into a million figurative pieces. The Prophecy, the ultimatum that was given to her, and so much death at the castle. Why couldn't there be another way for this madness to end? "Does it have to end like this? Do I really have to die?"

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><p><em>Between the desire<em>

_And the spasm_

_Between the potency_

_And the existence_

_Between the essence_

_And the descent_

_Falls the Shadow_

_For Thine is the Kingdom_

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><p><strong>(Then)<strong>

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><p>Death tugged on Antioch's soul and laughed as he saw the Wizard's expression. "That is what you get for thinking like a god." Antioch screamed silently, trying in vain the leave Death's grasp. "You would not want to escape now, we're getting your brother next."<p>

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><p>Cadmus held the Resurrection Stone in his fingers, and pressed it to his mouth whispering good-bye. Elena cried, begging for him not to do it, but she then vanished into wherever the dead went.<p>

The house seemed so much more quiet, so sad and empty. _What do I have left? _He thought _She's gone._

Death came that night for him.

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><p>"Here," Ignotus handed the cloak to his wide-eyed son. "It is yours now. Remember to never let it leave the family." he laid his head back to the pillow, exhaustion seeping into his weary bones.<p>

"Grandfather, why me?" his son asked. "Why not the any of the others?"

"Because, Henry, when I told you the story you were the only one who asked about the Invisibility Cloak. Your older brothers wanted the wand and stone. It is your birthright."

"But—"

"Henry," Ignotus ignored the terrible ache in his jaw as he spoke. "Give it to your son when your time has come. Can you do that for me?"

He greeted Death that night as a friend.

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><p><strong>(Now)<strong>

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><p>Death came quicker than Albus expected. There was just a bright flash of light, and then he was at a...where was he? It looked like his now-former office. Everything to the portraits was still the same, even the perch that was made especially for Fawkes.<p>

Albus looked at his hands, they were white, whole. No curse, no aching pain. With his workable fingers, he traced the outline of some stars on the wall. Was he dead or was this just merely a dream? Lost in his thoughts, he never noticed that the door opened.

"Hello, bother," said a small, waif-like girl. Her blue eyes darkened with emotions.

Albus felt the many years of his age crashed down on him. He felt so old, so very old. "Ariana," he breathed. "Why are you here?"

"I'm dead, silly." she gave him a hug, her spidery arms wrapped around his middle, squeezing the life out of him. "I miss you, Alby. Mum misses you, too."

Albus froze, and tears threatened to escape. "I-I killed you, Ariana. Shouldn't you hate me?"

Ariana looked up, she was smiling. "You didn't." she let go and walked to the door, "are you coming or not?" his sister asked innocently. "People are waiting for you?"

And for the first, Albus felt forgiven.

He followed his sister to meet his fate, and as he walked, he never noticed how he slowly started to de-age. White melted away to auburn and his beard receded. Wrinkles and scars vanished, and when Albus was outside, he was a young man again.

He was free.

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><p>There was a flash of green light and everything went dark. Voldemort could only see white through closed eyes. It was so cold here, so empty, so quiet. He curled himself up in a ball, every sense feeling raw and on fire.<p>

Voices wavered in the air. He could only make out a few words.

'Brave boy.'

'Sacrifice.'

'Blood.'

'Hallows.'

It was so bright. So, so bright.

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><p>"Please," Snape begged to Potter. Everything was going dark, his eyesight was becoming hazy, and every breath he took hurt. "Take them." Someone Conjured a bottle and Potter put the memories in it.<p>

"Look at me."

And the last thing Snape saw was Lily's eyes. _I'm sorry, Lily. I'm sorry that I failed saving your son. _

After he blinked, he saw Lily offering her hand to help him up.

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><p>Harry woke up to find himself in his bedroom. Sunlight streamed through an opened curtain and fell in soft arcs over the bed. He felt stronger then he had so in decades, perfectly rested and ready for the start of a new day. He yawned and rubbed his tired eyes. Blinking, he realised that he could see perfectly well without his glasses. He slowly looked at his hands and saw that the skin was younger and scar-free.<p>

A familiar hand touched the small of his back. Harry breathed in the scent of flowery shampoo. "I was wondering when you were coming," Ginny said sleepily. Her eyes were searching him, and her hair was long and red. She was just as beautiful as he last saw her.

"Hiya," Harry said, kissing her. It had been far too long. "Sorry that I was so late."

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><p><strong>(When)<strong>

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><p>The girl was near the edge of the Forbidden Forest. She played with the Stone in her hand, ready to get rid of the thing. The Elder Wand had been returned to the tomb that it was found in; the Cloak will be handed down, now it was time for the Stone to go away.<p>

"Good riddance!" she yelled as she chucked it in the dense foliage. She hoped that a Centaur would step on it or of one of the fabled giants would eat it. It deserved that sort of fate.

Slipping her hands in her pockets, the girl walked away and never looked back.

Now she had all the time in the world to live. Master of Death or not, she was ready to live.

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><p><em>This is the way the world ends<em>

_This is the way the world ends_

_This is the way the world ends_

_Not with a bang but a whimper._


End file.
